The School of Education received visits during the 2012-13 academic year from the PESB and NCATE to consider state and national accreditation of all SOE programs. The results from these visits could not have been better; continued accreditation was approved for all programs under review. In fact, SOE was given the maximum number of years before another accreditation visit would be required. The next review is not anticipated until 2020.

NCATE/CAEP accreditation is a mark of distinction, and provides recognition that a school of education has met national professional standards for the preparation of teachers and other educators.

What Is NCATE/CAEP?

The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (formerly NCATE) is a nonprofit, nongovernmental alliance of national professional education and public organizations representing millions of Americans who support quality teaching. The organization is the teaching profession's mechanism to help establish high-quality teacher, specialist, and administrator preparation.

NCATE/CAEP currently accredits 656 colleges of education with nearly 70 more seeking its accreditation. The U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation recognize NCATE/CAEP as an accrediting body for schools, colleges, and departments of education.

In NCATE/CAEP's performance-based accreditation system, institutions must provide evidence of competent teacher candidate performance. Teacher candidates must know the subject matter they plan to teach and how to teach effectively so that all students learn. NCATE/CAEP makes a difference in teacher preparation, and prepared teachers make a difference in P–12 student learning. Studies indicate that student achievement increases when teachers are fully prepared and licensed.

About SPU

Additional Accreditations

SPU is a member of the Association of American Colleges and Universities; and of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. It is fully accredited by the Washington Professional Educator Standards Board. The School of Education is also a member of the Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges for Teacher Education.